Synthetic Dreams
by GemmaKat
Summary: Captain Simone returns to some old friends, and finds herself in an unwelcome position.
1. Default Chapter

Synthetic dreams  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Wiping the sweat from my brow I squinted up at the darkening sky. Even though the sight was a common one I could not stop myself from shaking my head at the beauty of a dusk sky devoid of clouds. It was like a silken blanket of deep blues, covered in daring, almost garish, splashes of oranges, reds and the fiercest yellow.  
Curving my lips into a smile I pushed my glasses back up my nose. Its small button shape was one of the few traits I inherited from my mother. I thought of her with her black hair falling down her back like a raven's wing, her chocolate brown eyes glowing with laughter, and I felt a pain somewhere deep in my chest.  
I pushed a hand aggressively through my hair as if pushing the pain away. Her death, although long ago, was like a recent memory, an open flesh wound. I missed everything about her; her dark Italian good looks, the way the skin around her eyes creased into fine lines when she laughed; her laugh itself, her deep soothing voice and her smell.   
As I looked at the dark sky above me I realised how when someone we loved was lost to us we seem incapable of remembering the negative. Both stubborn and wilful my mother and I had often not seen eye to eye. Our relationship was volatile, but our love was deep. There would always be a space in me now that no one could fill. Losing a parent was something you never fully recovered from. I turned away from the oncoming dusk and the memories it stirred.  
Packing up my equipment, careful not to crease the papers filled with my scrappy handwriting, I jerked my head up as I heard the Stargate activate.  
My hand went to the back of my combats and once my revolver was in my grasp I felt an icy calmness. I wasn't expecting any new supplies and my team had left hours ago, not due back until tomorrow afternoon. Cautiously I walked through the ruins and out into the still warm air.  
Taking a place in the groundcover a little away from the gate I held my pistol at the ready. But when the surface had stilled from it's initial blooming, and four figures stepped onto the podium I smiled, a laugh already bubbling in my throat.  
"Why hello there.' I called as I stepped into open view.  
They all dropped their weapons when they saw my face, and I had to resist the urge to run at them. Dear Lord it was good to see them.  
"Thea." Jack's voice was warm as he stepped towards me. I took in the peppered grey of his hair, the stubble on his cheeks and the usual glint in his eyes, and I felt a wide smile crease my face.  
"Unccy Jack." I teased, laughing as he pulled a face.  
"Jeez, girl. You know how I hate it when you call me that. Let's stick to Colonel or Sir. Both are good."  
His face was creased in a mock frown.  
"Sure thing, Sir. But my Dad would have a fit, you know how he is about manners."  
I couldn't be bothered with this play any longer, so I stepped forwards and wrapped Jack in a warm hug.  
I'd practically grown up with Jack O'Neill about the place. He was a good friend of my father's and since small 'Unccy Jack' had been one of the male figures in my life. It seemed that after Mum died, caring, protective men surrounded me. I was almost positive that this had effected my development, my need to be as strong and capable as possible and my career choice, but I didn't much care. A shrink would probably have a field day with me, but I didn't need to pay someone $100 an hour to know that I was fucked in the head. We all are partly in this line of work.  
I breathed deep the warm smell of Jack's cologne and that great man smell, and sighed,  
"Man, is it good to see you Jack."  
"You too Thea." His voice was soft, warm. I wanted to wrap myself in it. This is what the men in my life do to me; they make me feel safe.  
Pulling away I planted a kiss on his cheek, already smiling over his shoulder at Samantha Carter.  
"Sam." I stepped in to give her a welcoming kiss and grasped her arm.  
"I saw your Dad the other day, he was helping me with some translations. He seems to be doing really well."  
Sam nodded, and I watched as her blue eyes softened.  
"He is. So am I."  
I nodded. "That's what I expected."   
We smiled at each other and I was glad to know this woman. She was one of the few people I trusted and respected. This woman was a genius, just listening to her made me feel academic. I remembered nights when we'd sat around those hard base tables and slogged through alien technology and translations until we'd found a solution, an explanation. Those were good moments, good memories.  
Making my way to Teal'c I noted how nothing about the Jaffa had changed. His eyes followed me as I walked and a smile curved those full lips of his.  
"Captain Simone."   
" Teal'c." I reprimanded. " It's Thea. Call me Thea."  
He merely nodded and I wrapped him in a hug feeling the strength of him. He squeezed me back and I planted a kiss on his dark cheek.  
I couldn't stop myself from laughing as I pulled away.  
"I must be so lonely to feel so glad to see you! Seriously I'm resisting the urge to bundle you all up and squeeze you to death. Man."  
I shook my head, and as I did so I noticed that I had completely overlooked a member of the team.  
"Shit, how rude of me. It's Jonas right?" I stretched out a hand to the compact, fair man on my right.  
"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you Captain Simone."  
"Call me Thea." I smiled back at him.  
Jack shifted and I turned back to him.  
" We've come to take you back to the base. We have something new for you to look at."  
I frowned pushing an unruly lock of hair from off my forehead.  
" But I'm no way near finished here. I still have weeks, maybe months left of translations to slog through."  
Jack shrugged, his hands out to the side in a gesture of helplessness.  
"You can leave this until another time. Hammond wants you for this case."  
I knew it was pointless arguing, and although I didn't like the thought of leaving my project to others, I found myself wanting to get back to the familiar surroundings of the base. I even found myself wondering how the General and his kids were.  
"Ok. Well, let's get going then." I started towards the gate.  
" Don't you need to collect your things?" Jonas' voice stopped me.  
" Nah." I shook my head with a smile. " I travel light."  
I stepped from the shower relishing the feel of the soft towel around me. It just felt so good to stand under a hot shower and use real shampoo, such a difference from the stream and all-purpose soap I used in P3-21. I rubbed my hair dry with a towel as I thought of the recent meetings.  
Hammond and his kids were well, and this new mission seemed interesting. I had apparently been chosen specially and I felt flattered. Stupid girl, I chided with a wry smile, still so proud to serve.  
Looking in the mirror I could see that my time on P3-21 had taken a toll. The muscles I had worked so hard to acquire were now more sinewy and lean. My face was thinner, making my cheekbones look almost sharp in contrast to the lines of my jaw. I was all angles and planes. Even my pale skin was now a light caramel colour, making my eyes look almost black.  
The only thing unchanged was the tight hold of my jaw, the focused look in my eyes and the dark brown of my hair. The sun had brushed through a few deep red highlights, but other than that it was unchanged.  
Although, I mused as I combed my fingers through it's length, it could do with a serious cut. When I'd left it had hung just below my chin, now it brushed against my shoulders.   
Pulling on the required combats I heard a knock at the door and called a firm 'come in'. Jack face popped around and I smiled just as the sight of him.  
He sat easily on the adjacent bench and looked me over.  
" You look good."   
I laughed.  
" I look like a bloody marathon runner! Look at these scrawny muscles!"  
I gestured to the ropey sinews of my arms and the taut muscles of my stomach.  
" I used to be someone of size."  
Jack's laugh was easy.  
"You still are. You're one of the tallest women I know."  
I smiled in agreement. At 5'10 I was used to being a commanding presence in a room, although how much of that was strictly my size and how much was my personality had never been determined.  
I pulled a tank top over my small chest encased safely away in some non-descript bra, then shrugged on a jacket.  
" So are you going to take me out to eat?"  
I turned on Jack a hand thrust jauntily on my hip, my eyes catching his.  
"Sure." He stood. "Is the cafeteria ok?" 


	2. Chapter 2

SD-Chapter 2  
  
I choked on a piece of pie; my laugh drawing more than a few glances.  
"You didn't! Oh Jack I wish I could have seen his face!"  
Jack was regaling me with tales about his recent fishing trip with my dad. It seemed he had initiated a bet involving who could catch the biggest fish. Dad had won (of course) and at his smug smile, in typical Jack style, Jack had pushed him from the boat and left him to make his own way back to shore.  
I howled again, tears threatening to spill onto my cheeks. I wiped at my eyes.  
"Oh that is a classic! I bet the look on his face was priceless."  
"Sure was." Jack practically drawled. "He didn't talk to me for a week though."  
My shoulders shook with yet more laughter and I realised how good I felt. I looked at this good, familiar and much loved man in front of me and I felt a lump in my throat. Spending months alone on a planet gave you too much time to think, something I already did too much of. It did, however, make you realise how much you could miss someone.  
Jack was just starting another tale when Sam strolled in and motioned for us to go with her.  
"We're getting everything together. Be ready to go in 10 minutes."  
  
By the time we stepped through the gate and were welcomed by the natives, tiredness was steeping through me. With a brief glance at my watch I realised that now was my usual nighttime and I stifled a yawn.  
'You are fatigued, Captain Simone.' Teal'c's deep voice sounded behind me. I grinned, knocking my fist against one of his sturdy arms.  
'I'll be fine. It's more important that we get settled first.'  
With a nod and an approving smile Teal'c turned away, and I followed him from the room. It seemed this planet's gate operated from within a pyramid.  
Man, I thought as I stared at the elaborate hieroglyphs and the statues that adorned the walls, who knew that I would spend so much time in ancient buildings? It always struck me as amusing that I used to dream about Egypt, ancient civilisations and discovering new ones, and now here I was standing in a whole other world looking at an ancient language so familiar.  
'Man, oh man.' I muttered under my breath as we were led into a small room. The man who had welcomed us turned to me, his small, beady eyes lighting on my own, a respectful smile on his comely face.  
'You are Captain Simone? You are to study this?'  
His voice was surprisingly strong, and I smiled even as my eyes followed his gesture to the device pushed against the wall.  
It was of adequate size, roughly the size of a rugby ball, and was obviously alien technology, looking so out of place in this world of sand, ochre paint and gilded statues. It appeared to be made out of some kind of alloy, and when I tapped it I could feel how solid and strong it was.  
It was shaped in a rough oval, and if it had been made of natural material it might have been mistaken for a giant rock, though one decorated in crude, almost childlike, symbols.  
I crouched down, pushing my hair from off my forehead, my eyes locked on the object in front of me. Considering the material it was constructed of I would have instantly classed it as one of the Ancient's inventions, but the crudeness of the symbols on it belied this theory. When I turned it over I almost laughed when I saw the childish images painted on its base.  
'Look at this.' I called to Jonas. 'See these images?'  
Jonas squatted down beside me, leaning over my shoulder so that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek.  
'Is that a heart? And people holding hands?' His voice was incredulous.  
'Yes.' I found myself laughing. 'This is fascinating. Obviously a more primitive culture discovered this.'  
I turned to our guide.  
'Your people found this only recently?'  
He nodded his bald head emphatically.  
'Yes. When the Jappa Eye blossomed, the walls shook and fell. This was found in the rubble.'  
I nodded. Standing to get a birds eye view of the thing. 'Interesting.' I murmured to myself.  
'Ok.' I raised my voice slightly, addressing the team. 'Will someone help me lift this?'  
Jack stepped forwards, pushing his gun behind his back.  
'Sure thing.' He hunkered down, slipping his fingers under the object, waiting for me to take the other side.  
I crouched down once more, and placed my hands against the cool sides of the object. It seemed to me that I felt it tremble, and as I raised my eyes to Jack, a bright light flashed before me bathing the world in hot reds and pinks. It felt like something went deep into the core of me, pushing burning hot fingers into my body. I think I may have cried out, and then everything went black. 


End file.
